MEET WEEK 1
Friday, January 2
7:30pm ET/ 4:30pm PT	LSU Exhibition		SEC+
9:00pm ET/ 6:00pm PT	Minnesota Iowa @ Utah	SCORES	ESPN+

Yep, it’s a brand new year of college gymnastics. What secrets might you hold? Who will get the first 10? Who will smear the most glitter everywhere? Whose floor routine theme will be “my mouth is open”? The possibilities remain endless.

We have just the one real meet on the agenda today (along with LSU’s annual preseason preview, happening a month later than usual), as the majority of the teams have elected to wait until next weekend to start their seasons.

Most importantly at LSU’s preview, Kailya Lincoln tripped while trying to be introduced. Kaliya, is this why you barely competed?

Preliminary Lineup News
Leaving the team and then coming back to save the day is soooo in right now. JerQuavia Henderson for Iowa and Gianna Gerdes for Minnesota are both slated for the AA today. Gerdes left the team for 2025 and then came back, while Henderson left the team for 2024 and then came back and was injured in 2025.

We also have 186 exhibitions slated for tonight, so prepare yourself for that.

Why are we in a leo strumming an air guitar in a field next to an old fence? The questions team promo shoots make you ask.

Alisa is explaining the new NQS now. I feel like when these networks need to describe it, they should just say we’re doing season average now, with one dropped high and one dropped low. All the other stuff about the number of home meets affects very few teams and the average Henrietta doesn’t actually need to care about every little caveat.

Rotation 1

Raposo – VT – Utah – adding the Y1.5 to this lineup this year, hits it, fairly large lunge forward (probably not the 3 feet needed for 0.2—which remains insane, but is the rule—but def .15), some leg separation. 9.775.

Ball – BB – Iowa – over handstand on her candle mount but pulls it back, hip bend – bhs loso, wobble, lean over at the hips – split to split 1/2, more secure – holds gainer full dismount. 9.625

Step back on bars dismount for Gerdes. 9.725

Zirbes – VT – Utah – y1.5, short landing, lunge back. 9.700

Crump with a high Pak on bars for MN, some leg separation – DLO, step back.

Ostrum – UB – Minnesota – blind to piked jaeger, hit – pak, good legs together – rhythm issue on 1/2 turn on low, pulls ti back – short hs on high – DLO, good form, chest down, step forward.

Henderson – BB – Iowa – nice loso series, secure, high 2/1 dismount but too high with large bounce back

Glynn with a large lunge forward on y1.5 on vault. 9.825. Smith with a very strong Omelianchik, little hop. 9.875

Slevin – UB – MN – some angle in first hs – toe on to malonwy to pak, very small leg separation – strugles up to handstand 1/2 turn on low but gets there – elbows and form – DLO, step back.

Johnson VT – Utah – hits a y1.5, stuck landing, some leg position and direction. And she goes 9.925. College gym back with a vengeance.

Neff anchors vault for Utah, good height and distance on y1.5, but another very large lunge. 9.800

Saltzmann on bars for Minnesota, nearly finds the stick on her DLO, ends up stepping back.

Tran little hop back on gainer pike beam dismount.

Winger exhibition Y1.5 for Utah, lower amplitude but hit with hop forward.

Lyden – UB – Minnesota – short first hs on low – toe on to maloney to bail, good form on bail, legs together – DLO, high, holds stick. A couple tighter handstands but very good one. 9.850.

Schriever – BB – Iowa – full turn with wobble – bhs loso series, step back wobble to keep it on the beam – kickover, large break, bend over at the hips to horizontal – switch to switch, then split jump, highlight of the routine, good foot positions – gainer full, has the amplitude, but hop forward. Lots of potential, not a lot of built in deductions, but some big errors in that one. 9.350

Johnson in exhibition on bars for MN, pretty large leg separations in Maloney to bail combination, chest way down on pike 1/2 dismount with lunge forward.

Rojas – BB – Iowa – full turn is smooth – bhs bhs loso, secure, not a lot of amplitude but no checks – switch to split jump 3/4, switch is very tight – gainer full, hop back. 9.600

Turner – BB – Iowa – candle, hit – full turn nearly falls, big wobble – gainer bhs loso, larger wobble, leg up to horizontal – switch to split, little adjustment between (probably give combo but deduct for rhythm), good leg positions – 1.5 dismount, hop. 9.400

Volpe first exhibition for Iowa on beam hits a loso series, was under on a front aerial but pulled it back with a wobble, tuck 1.5 is stuck.

After 1: Utah 49.200. Minnesota 48.800, Iowa 48.125

Well hello, first meet of the season. You’re being very first meet of the season. Utah hit the vaults they needed to with six 10.0 starts. The landings overall were not there, and it looked like the judges gave them the charitable end of the possible range for lunges.

Iowa a lot of good intrinsic quality on beam but they went on a field trip to wobble town on almost every one. The parts I saw of Minnesota’s bars were similarly first-meet, lots of tight handstand positions.

Tyson with a solid triple series to loso in exhibition for Iowa – straddle 1/2 is hit – 1.5 dismount is low amplitude but stuck. Nice audition for the lineup.

Rotation 2

Smith – UB – Utah – solid amplitude on pak – toe on to van leeuwen, legs together, toe pike 1/2, holds the stick. Strong. 9.900

Tran pulls a loso out of her front rudi like a magician, very low but did it. 9.700

Stewart – BB – hits aerial to korbut, wolf single, solid – a lean forward wobble on choreo that she definitely tried to pretend was a flat back to show levels like elite. 9.475

Stroud – UB – small arch in first hs – Ray to pak, solid – 1/2 turn on low, hits vertical position – tighter cast hs on high – DLO, some feet, bounce back. 9.750

Turner – FX – Iowa – wolf double, around – double pike a little short – 1.5 to front is secure

Abbi Ryssman on bars, the name on Aly Raisman’s fake ID.

Struggles on a cast hs on low and has to re-cast to get over. Holds onto the stick on a DLO.

Zirbes – high Jaeger, some elbows on catch – pak, hit, a bit of body position and some loose back – FTDT, foot flexing, holds the stick. 9.875

DePaola does front 2/1 on floor for Iowa, into a bound-but-it’s-really-a-stag jump – solid leap amplitude –

Padurariu with a good maloney to bail combination, legs together – solid hs on high – toe pike 1/2 dmt, high in the air but lands chest down, hop forward. Good form on the bars. 9.850

Castillo – FX – Iowa – about a wolf 1.75 there to start with teetering – front tuck to double pike, shows secure step – finishes double tuck, secure but chest down

Neff – UB – clear hip to high gienger to overshoot, solid – good aggressive handstand on high but then elbow bends – DLO 1/1, good amplitude, little bit of legs apart and step forward. 9.775

Moraw – BB – Minnesota – full turn, hit – bhs loso, lean correction but small – cat leap to side aerial, holds it – beat to straddle jump 3/4, good clear jump position – gainer full, small leg separation, stuck. 9.775

Raposo in exhibition, sticks DLO, some shorter handstands and a leg separation that might keep her out of the lineup.

Erb – FX – Iowa – double pike, hit, somewhat low amplitude, bounce back – switch side 1/2 to straddle jump – back 1.5 to front full, small leg separations

Pearl – BB – Minnesota – bhs loso, solidly landed – small correction on full turn – switch to straddle 1/4, good positions – aerial to beat, well done, crisp work – gainer full a bit low, hop up in place

Henderson – FX – Iowa – FTDT, high, bounce back – switch side to popa to straddle, overturns to the switch side slightly to go into the popa – front tuck through to double tuck, another bounce. 9.875

Rowray – BB – Minnesota – bhs loso, big height but large break, leg up, doesn’t quite grab the beam but large lean forward – switch to straddle 1/2, good form as always – kickover to wolf jump is well done – full turn – front gainer full, stuck.

Lyden – BB – Minnesota – wolf double, solid – bhs loso, solid, chest lower in the air – cat leap to switch side, tighter – 1.5 dismount, little hop. 9.800

Schriever exhibition on floor for Iowa, double pike hit – whip 1/2 to rudi, leg crossing, larger lunge back but kept front full in control – gets low in 3 dance combination, final wolf turn low –

Ostrum beam exhibition, good loso series, check on full turn – switch to straddle 1/4 – cat leap to side aerial, small lean – gainer full is stuck. Good argument for the lineup.

Slevin in exhibition on beam – hits candle – small wobble on loso series – switch to split is hit – wolf double – 1.5 dmt, little hop. Also very viable lineup choice.

After 2:
Utah 98.350
Minnesota 97.575
Iowa 96.950

Utah pretty strong on bars, not even mad at the scoring. Ryssman had a cast handstand errors, some steps and rhythm, but a good rotation for 49.150.

Iowa 48.825 on floor, Henderson is back, and they need it. There wasn’t a ton of amplitude throughout the lineup otherwise, which might hurt in comparison to other teams. Minnesota checky on beam for 48.775, but that should become the best event for this roster. Lots of satisfying form there from them as well.

Rotation 3

Gantner – BB – Utah – bhs loso, secure, looks like she pulled it back from being off line initially – switch 1/2, small adjustment before straddle jump – full turn, hit – 1.5 dmt, knees, hop forward

Lyden – FX – MN – back 1.5 to front full, good, second element is higher – side aerial – switch side to popa, clearly around – back 2.5, controls the landing well, some knees. Solid. 9.825

Chambers and Castillo with yfulls on vault, both off direction with some pike.

Zirbes – BB – Utah – candle mount, solid – bhs loso, smooth and solid – switch 1/2, a little under, some pause before stag jump – full turn – gainer tuck full, stuck, chest a little forward. Pretty good. 9.875

Tran good amplitude on yfull, hop back

Turner – VT – Iowa – hits y1.5, little hop forward, not the highest amplitude compared to the other 1.5s we’ve seen but not much landing error.

Saltzmann – MN – pulls out a double tuck to finish on floor, chest down, hop to the side, but gets it

Stroud – BB – Utah – bhs bhs loso, holds securely – switch to korbut, hit – 1.5 dmt, step forward. 9.800

Schriever on vault gets good height for a ro full-on vault, usually they get big amplitude deductions.

Henderson lands locked legged on a y1.5 on vault but it’s OK everyone she’s fine. Lands it with a step and gets a 9.850 with a “we’re glad you’re OK” bonus.

Ryssman – BB – Utah – bhs loso, good series, crisp landing – switch to side somi, held well – beat – 2/1 dismount, some knees, lunge back

Ostrum – FX – Minnesota – front tuck through to double tuck, solid, little bounce – switch side to popa to straddle jump – rudi to loso, also under control –

Neff – BB – Utah – side aerial to bhs series, right on – side aerial two feet to shushunova is very fun – gainer full, good amplitude, stuck. Very good one. 9.875

Gonsiorowski – FX – Minnesota – FTDT, hit well, small leg separation, small slide back – front through to double tuck, bigger slide back – switch side to popa to straddle, popa at an angle –

Judges conference for Neff. She does the dance + acro with the Shushunova to get the dance requirement even though she doesn’t have a combination of leaps, so even though she has a ton of bonus, she has to connect the 2-foot aerial to the shushunova to get a 10.0 start. Alisa says they may be talking about the pause in between.

Gerdes – FX – Minnesota – front tuck through to double tuck large bounce back – switch to split full to wolf, which is shorter and under position. They’re having a bit of trouble with third dance elements in combo. Finishes double pike.

Padurariu – BB – Utah – aerial to bhs is hit – split to sheet jump, holds it – gainer pike, chest down pretty far but saves it. 9.850

Utah wins this rotation as well, going 49.250 on beam to Minnesota’s 49.075 on floor, and Iowa’s 48.950 on vault.

After 3:
Utah 147.600
Minnesota 146.650
Iowa 145.900

Minnesota got the closet to Utah of anyone so far with that floor rotation. Most importantly, that rotation delivered a judges conference, the thing we’re all waiting for. (I’m pretending it’s sarcasm but that’s actually just true.)

Also looks like they didn’t give switch + side aerial to Raposo in exhibition?

Rotation 4

Henderson – UB – toe on to maloney to bail, some hip angle and legs on the bail catch – open FTDT, bounce back. 9.700

Winger – FX – Utah – back 1.5 to front full, controls step forward – switch to gogean, a little under on landing position – 2.5, crossover step, some knee position

Ostrum – VT – MN – clean yfull position in the air, step back, good direction

Masella – UB – Iowa – very short first hs – good height in jaeger to overshoot – better hs on high – DLO, high, good stick.

Steensland – VT – MN – chest down on yfull with a step forward

Stroud – FX – Utah – back 1.5 to front full, good height on the 1.5 – switch to switch full, jussst? pulls it around – back 2.5, lands very slightly under but shows control in step. 9.850

Utah going for some risky leap rotation so that they only have to do two passes. They’re betting that the judges won’t actually dare to downgrade if they’re too far under, and honestly it’s a good bet.

Nice leg position from Schriever overall on bars. Good Maloney to Pak from Turner following her. DLO, step back.

Zirbes – FX – Utah – front 2/1, does well to show control on landing – switch 1/2 to popa to knee, good – 1.5 to front full, some knee, controls the step. Good one.

Crump large lunge on Y1.5

Tran hits Maloney to pak well on bars, overly loose back on Pak – hits van leeuwen – DLO, hop back

Moraw solid yfull for Minnesota, good distance, little bounce.

Stickler – FX – Utah – DLO is hit, pikes down at the end, little hop – front to rudi, low amplitude, pulls it out – switch to split jumps, under split position in the back leg on those jumps. A bit of a struggle after the DLO. 9.775

Bowles for Iowa hits Ray to overshoot on bars, short hs on high – DLO, leg separation, hop forward.

Neff – FX – Utah – front 2/1 to barani correction, just pulls out an element after being off on the punch, we all had flashbacks, does something, but low, chest down, step – switch side to piked shushunova full – back 1.5 to front full, no trouble

Smith – FX – front 2/1 to front tuck taken too far, steps OOB on the front tuck – cat leaps to a split ring leap, which is at least a different look in elements – rudi to loso is hit. 9.700

FINAL:
Utah 196.625
Minnesota 195.475
Iowa 194.825

I feel like the lesson of this meet about having competitions on January 2nd was…don’t? A lot of shaky routines, but on the plus side, the scoring wasn’t all that stupid.

But the Avery Neff show was fun. When it came to both gymnastics and start value drama, she was the big winner of the day.